Steam-jacketed asphalt bucket



April 1937- J. HURST STEAM JACKETED ASPHALT BUCKET Filed Oct. 19, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 1 l. HURST 2,077,756

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 20, 1937. J.

STEAM JACKETED ASPHALT BUCKET FiledOct. 19, 1955 @w nawy// 4 ml PatentedApr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES STEAM-JACKETED ASPHALT BUCKET John I. Hurst,Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Hetherington & Berner Inc.,Indianapolis, Ind.,

a corporation of Indiana Application October 19, 1933, Serial No.694,278

3 Claims.

In the manufacture of such materials as paving compositions whichinvolve the mixing of aggregateand melted bitumen accurate proportioningof the ingredients requires a weighing of the quantity of bitumensupplied to each batch of material. In the past, the melted bitumen hasbeen weighed in dumping buckets which may or may not have beensteam-jacketed. .If the buckets were not steam-jacketed, a part of themelted bitumen introduced into the bucket would congeal on the wallsthereof, thus gradually building up an objectionable bitumen coating andalso making it necessary to weigh the empty bucket after each operation.When steam-jacketed buckets were used the steam was supplied to andconducted from the jacket through flexible hoses, and changes in thedisposition of these hoses which occurred upon each inversion of thebucket would affect the indicated weight of the bucket and renderaccurate proportioning of the ingredients impossible.

It is the object of my invention to produce a steam-jacketedweigh-bucket which will nothave the disadvantages present in bucketspreviously used for the weighing of melted bitumen. More specifically,it is my object to produce a weighbucket in which the melted bitumenwill not congeal to build up a film of gradually increasing thickness. Afurther object of my invention is to produce a weigh bucket which may beemptied without inversion and thus to avoid such displacement of theflexible steam hoses as would affect the indication of weight.

In carrying out my invention, I suspend the weigh bucket from a scale orotherwise associate it with the scale so that the weight of the bucketand its contents may be quickly determined. Associated with the bucket Iprovide means for guiding it in a vertical plane while holding it in 1upright position. I provide for the discharge of the bucket contents atthe bottom of the bucket and control this discharge through the means ofa suitable valve. The bucket and valve are steamjacketed so that thebitumen will be maintained in liquid condition while in the bucket andwhile being discharged therefrom.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Figs. 1 and 2 are andand front elevations respectively of my improved bucket; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on an enlarged scale illustratingdetails of construction, Fig. 3 being a horizontal section through theaxis of the dischage valve on the line 33 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 being avertical transverse section on the 5 line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

My bucket comprises end walls III and side walls I I the lower portionsof which slope inwardly toward each other, the extreme lower edges ofthe side walls being spaced apart as indicated at I2 in Fig. 4 to form adischarge opening which extends for substantially the entire length ofthe bucket. Secured to the lower edges of the walls II is a hollowcylindrical valve casing I3. Conveniently, this valve casing I3 isformed of a length of 'pipe having a diameter somewhat greater than thewidth of the slot I2, such pipe being provided with a slot substantiallyequal in width to that of the slot I2 and being secured to the loweredges of the side walls I I as by welding. At its ends, the valve casingI3 is welded to the end Walls I0 of the bucket, such end walls beingprovided with openings substantially equal in diameterto the casing I3.

The bucket proper and the valve casing I3 are steam-jacketed. The jacketshown in the drawings comprising plates I5 which are mounted outside ofand in spaced relation to the side walls II of the bucket, the edges ofsuch plates being bent inwardly and secured to the outer surface of theside walls to prevent escape of steam. If necessary stays comprisingspacing blocks I6 and rivets Il may be provided wherever necessary toprevent separation of the walls II and plates I5 under the influence ofthe pressure of the steam between them.

The lower portion of the steam jacket may be formed of a length of pipeI8 of larger diameter than the valve casing I3. The pipe I8 is providedwith a longitudinal slot the edges of which are secured to the loweredges of the plates I5, as is clear from Fig. 4. The pipe I8 extendsbetween the end walls III and is secured to such end walls, as bywelding.

At their lowermost points, the casing I3 and pipe I8 are provided withaxially extending series of alined openings which receive shortdischarge pipes 20, preferably welded to the casing and to the jacket asshown in Fig. 4. The inner ends of the pipes 20 are finished flush withthe inner surface of the casing I3 in order that they may be closed by avalve member 2| which lies within the casing I3.

The valve member ZI is arcuate in cross-section, its outer surfaceconforming to the curvature of the inner surface of the casing I3. Atits ends, the valve member 2| has secured to it, as by welding, inwardlyextending arms 22 which, on the axis of the casing I3, are provided withholes for the reception of the inner ends of valve-shafts 23.Preferably, in order to insure a rigid connection between the shafts 23and the arms 22, the holes of the arms and the inner ends of the shaftare made square and each shaft is welded to its associated arm.

Each of the shafts 22 extends outwardly through a stufiing box 25 whichis mounted on a cover plate 26 adapted to be secured, as by means ofbolts 21', to the adjacent end wall ID of the bucket. A spacing collaror washer 28 surrounding the shaft 23 may be secured to the inner faceof each cover plate 26.

For the purpose of operating the valve, the shafts 23 are connected toan operating bar 30 which extends longitudinally of the bucket and isprovided with in-turned ends 3| to which the outer ends of the shafts 23are respectively connected.

Near opposite corners of the. bucket, the steam jacket is provided withfittings adapted for connection to a steam supply conduit 35 and a steamdischarge conduit 36. These conduits are flexible in order not tointerfere with that free vertical movement of the bucket which isnecessary in the securing of accurate weighing.

The bucket may be mounted upon the mixing machine in conjunction withwhich it. is to be used. A portion of such machine, comprising one wallof an aggregate hopper, is indicated at 38 in Figs. 1 and 2. Upon abracket 38. carried by the hopper-wall 38 there is mounted a scale 39from which is suspended a yoke 40 having down-turned ends M whichreceive the weighbucket between them. Near the upper edge of each end ofthe bucket there is secured a block 42 rigid with which. is an outwardlyextending trunnion adapted to be received in an eye on the adjacentyoke-end 4|. The connection of the yoke 49 to the scale is universal incharacter in order to permit the freedom of movement necessary toaccurate weighing.

t each end of the weigh bucket I provide a pair of vertical guidemembers 45, conveniently in the form of angle irons. The two guides ofeach pair are spaced sulficiently far apart to receive slidably betweenthem the trunnion block 42 at the top of the bucket and the stufiing box25 near the bottom of the bucket. By this means a guide is providedwhich holds the bucket in upright position while permitting its freevertical movement.

The bucket may discharge upon an inclined plate or trough 50 by whichthe contents of the bucket are conveyed to the mixer The trough or plate59 may, like the walls of the bucket, be steam-heated to prevent themelted bitumen from adhering to it.

When the bucket is being used, steam is supplied to the jacket throughthe pipe 35 and discharged through the pipe 36, thus maintaining thebucket at an elevated temperature. Normally, the valve-operating bar 30is in the position illustrated in Figs. 1' and 2 with the valve member2! covering the upper ends of the short pipes 26. With the valve in thisposition, bitumen is placed in the bucket until the bucket contains thedesired weight as indicated upon the scale 39.

When the bitumen has thus been weighed, the valve operating bar islifted, thus swinging the valve member 2i to the position illustrated inFigs. 3 and 4 where it uncovers the upper ends of the pipes 20 andpermits melted bitumen to be discharged. Because of the steam-jacketingof the bucket itself, of the valve-casing l3, and of the discharge pipes28, substantially all the bitumen is discharged.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a longitudinallyextending length of pipe disposed at the bottom of said hopper, saidpipe being. provided at its top with a longitudinal slot, said hopperhaving sloping walls joined to said pipe along opposite sides of saidslot, a plurality of discharge nozzles extending downwardly from saidpipe, an arcuate valve member mounted within said pipe and swingableabout the pipeaxis to open and close the upper ends of said nozzles, anda steam jacket for said. hopper, said jacket including a portionsurrounding said pipe and said nozzles, extending through suchpipesurrounding portion of said jacket.

2. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a longitudinallyextending length of pipe disposed at the bottom of said hopper, saidpipe being provided at its top with a longitudinal slot, said hopperhaving sloping walls joined to said pipe along opposite sides of saidslot, a plurality of discharge nozzles extending downwardly from saidpipe,.valve means disposed within said pipe for controlling thedischarge of the hopper-contents through said nozzles, and a steamjacket for said hopper, said jacket including a portion surrounding saidpipe and said nozzles extending through such pipe-surrounding portion ofsaid jacket.

3. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a longitudinallyextending length of pipe disposed at the bottom of said hopper, saidpipe being provided at its top with a longitudinal slot, said hopperhaving sloping walls joined to said pipe along opposite sides of saidslot, a steam jacket for said hopper including plates disposed beneathand generally parallel to said sloping walls, asecond pipe surroundingand of materially larger diameter than said first pipe, said second pipebeing provided at its top with a longitudinal slot to the side edges ofwhich the lower edges of said plates are secured, discharge nozzlesextending vertically through the walls of said pipes at the bottomthereof, and means disposed within said first named pipe for controllingthe discharge of the hopper contents through said nozzles.

JOHN I. HURST.

